Why Nicholas Thompson Made a Custom GPT to Run Faster

The Atlantic CEO’s new book, The Running Ground, examines his complicated relationship with the sport. On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, he talks about the ways tech is helping him become a better runner.

Title: Nicholas Thompson on Running, Leadership, and AI: How The Atlantic CEO Balances Speed, Storytelling, and the Future of Journalism

Article:Nicholas Thompson is proving that age is no barrier to peak performance both in running and in leadership. In April 2021, just two months after becoming CEO of The Atlantic, Thompson set the American record for men over 45 in the 50-kilometer race. His new book, The Running Ground (out October 28), dives into that extraordinary feat and what endurance running reveals about human limits, ambition, and father-son relationships.

But the challenge wasn’t just physical it was logistical. How does one write a deeply reflective book while running one of America’s most storied magazines in an era of industry collapse? The answer, for Thompson, lies partly in artificial intelligence.

“I didn’t use AI to write sentences that would be unethical,” he told Depth Perception. “But I used it to process my father’s diaries, verify timelines, and handle the grunt work that could take weeks. It’s like having an infinitely capable research assistant who gives you an answer, not in 15 hours, but 15 seconds.”

That practical embrace of AI aligns with Thompson’s multitasking nature. From Wired to The New Yorker and now The Atlantic, he has built a career on curiosity, adaptability, and a refusal to slow down. Ironically, his old boss, David Remnick, once warned him to “sit still” advice that ultimately launched him toward the CEO’s chair.

Under Thompson’s leadership, The Atlantic has become a rare media success story, surpassing one million subscribers and achieving profitability. Behind that growth is a data-driven strategy combining precision marketing, intelligent paywall optimization, and an unwavering commitment to in-depth, human-centered journalism. “Our editorial strategy is maximally resilient to AI,” Thompson explains. “We focus on long, deeply reported stories told by trusted voices the kind of work that can’t be replicated by machines.”

Even as AI transforms the industry that made him, Thompson remains both optimistic and cautious. “It’s the greatest tool journalism has ever had and also the biggest threat,” he says. “It can supercharge research and fact-checking, but it can also destroy our business models if used irresponsibly.”

In The Running Ground, Thompson turns the same duality inward. The book explores how he managed to become a faster runner in his mid-forties a seeming contradiction of human physiology and how that journey mirrors his approach to leadership and life. “Running taught me how to push through limits,” he reflects. “It also taught me that sometimes, going faster means thinking differently.”

With AI reshaping storytelling, politics challenging the free press, and attention spans fragmenting, Thompson remains steadfast in his belief in thoughtful journalism. “People still crave depth,” he says. “They still want stories that matter told by humans they trust.”

Like his record-setting runs, Thompson’s career shows no signs of slowing down. Instead, he’s finding new ways to keep pace with technology, with truth, and with time itself.